Over the years, Nigerian teachers have been agitating for salary increase, better welfare packages, improved infrastructure in schools and increase in retirement age, among other needs
Their cries seemed to have been heard in 2020 when the federal government announced new teachers’ salaries and an increase of years of service from 35 to 40.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, who made the announcement at an event to mark the World Teachers Day in Abuja, explained that the implementation of the new teachers’ salary scheme was to encourage them to deliver better services.
He said: “Government notes the emergency situation in our educational system, with particular reference to dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at all levels of our educational system.
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“To address these challenges and set our country on the path of industrialisation where our educational system will produce the needed skills and manpower, I have approved to the following: The reintroduction of bursary award to education students in universities and colleges of education, with the assurance of automatic employment upon graduation. Payment of stipends to Bachelor of Education students, as well as granting them automatic employment after graduation is now a government policy.
“The Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) will now fund teaching practice in the universities and colleges of education, special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools, including provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance…”.
After a year of the promises, the federal government assured that the implementation of most of the targets in the repositioning of teachers would be achieved by January 2022.
Today, four years after the promises, Nigerian teachers would join the rest of the world to celebrate yet another World Teachers Day with the theme, “Valuing teachers’ voices: Towards a new social contract for education,” without new salary and better welfare.
Teachers all over the world are celebrated every October 5, a global remembrance day dedicated to celebrate teachers since 1994, when the idea was muted by UNESCO in collaboration with other United Nations agencies.
However, Nigerian teachers have continued to lament on the challenges they face, which include poor salary, poor infrastructure, shortage of qualified teachers, poor welfare, among others.
An award-winning teacher, Olasunkanmi Opeifa, criticised the government for not fulfilling its promise.
“It was a rude shock to some of us “young” teachers, but the older ones among us knew from experience that they wouldn’t count their eggs until they were hatched.
“The last administration failed woefully with the salary scale promised. I was privileged to see the committee set up. If half of the recommendations were implemented, no faculty of education or college of education would be able to contain the new entrants. Teaching would become so enviable that other professionals would be looking for ways to join us,” he said.
He stressed that the government was fast to implement an increase in the retirement age, saying, “I wonder how a man will survive the stress of this job with poor financial ability, coupled with social inequality and inadequate support systems.”
The national president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Audu Titus Amba, told Weekend Trust that Nigerian teachers were determined to celebrate their day despite the fact that out of all the promises made to them in the last four years, only one had been met.
Amba said, “In 2020, during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, some approvals were granted to Nigerian teachers; paramount among them was the elongation of years of service, welfare packages, special allowances for those teaching in remote villages, among others. But as we speak, one particular area the government has kept its promise is the elongation of years of service. Across the country, over 21 states have so far approved the elongation for teachers, not even the whole country.
“Regarding the welfare packages for teachers, none has been implemented. But I know that the federal government has started implementing the stipends for students reading education courses.
“We have not relented in our efforts to persuade the government to keep the promise they made. We all know that government is a continuous process.
“We believe the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the interest to uplift the teaching profession. We believe the present government would do the needful by implementing a good number of those welfare packages meant for Nigerian teachers.”
Speaking on the struggles of Nigerian teachers, Opeifa, who is also a Maltina Teacher of the Year in 2020, said except in some lucky schools and regions, modern facilities are still lacking in their classes.
He said an average teacher in Nigeria was in the lower rank in social stratification and faces the stress and the demands of the job due to over population in classes, lack of modern teaching facilities and remuneration that can’t compete with the economic realities.
A teacher in Abuja, who simply identified herself as Mrs Ibekwe, said teachers in Nigeria had been relegated to the background for so long in spite of being heroes of the society.
“We give more than we are compensated for. Teaching is not an easy job; doing it with passion is what is keeping so many of us, not the reward. Most times, teachers do their jobs in the face of lack and pain but get little appreciation. All we get yearly are promises but nothing comes out of it,” she said.
A teacher at Queens College, Yaba, Lagos, who pleaded anonymity, expressed concern over the challenges confronting teachers at federal unity schools.
She highlighted delayed promotion, under-staffing, lack of implementation of the new minimum wage and poor health care system as the bane of education in Nigeria.
She said, “In my school, there are a lot of teachers due for promotion and subsequent redeployment as either vice principal or principal. And it is only when they go to a new school that those of us below can be elevated. Curiously, a level 15 to 16 officer that is supposed to head a school is still a class teacher; so, many people are stuck and waiting for promotion letters.
“We want a change in the educational system. We want the Ministry of Education to employ more teachers because as old members of staff are retiring, we are stretched.”
Reiterating the demands of Nigerian teachers, the national president of the NUT, said, “the best practice all over the world is substantial funding of education; and the welfare of teachers should be well taken care of. So, it is an agitation we will not keep quiet on. We will continue to talk to the government, and one day, we will be able to get it right.”
Congratulating teachers, he said, “It is our day, let’s celebrate ourselves. Teachers are the only professional body being celebrated all over the world. We deserve to be celebrated, and we deserve to celebrate ourselves.”
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Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, has asked Nigerian teachers to be resilient in the face of adversity, saying that with time, they will be recognised. Represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, at a briefing for the 2024 World Teachers Day on Thursday in Abuja, the minister said teachers would receive their reward on earth and not in heaven as is popularly said.
“We are aware that our teachers have contributed immensely to changes in the world. They have been building men and women. They are contributing more to human capital development. The government at all levels is doing all it takes to enhance professionalism in teaching for nation-building and national development,” he said.
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